Travis Leadership Summit
About the Travis Leadership Summit
The Travis Leadership Summit (TLS) is an annual one-day experience founded by Minneapolis native Jalen Travis. Each year, TLS brings together select high school team leaders from men's basketball and football programs across the Twin Cities metro area for a full day of honest, high-level conversations about what it really means to lead.
Leadership in high school athletics is often reduced to a title or a moment, TLS exists to widen that picture and serve as a reminder to these students that the platform they already hold is powerful enough to make a real impact today. Through seminar-style panels featuring professional athletes, wellness experts, NIL professionals, and college recruitment mentors, high school students will walk away with practical tools, meaningful relationships, and a perspective on leadership that reaches far beyond the field.
What the Day Looks Like
The summit blends large-group panels with smaller, focused breakout sessions. Athletes hear directly from current and former professional and collegiate players about their journeys, then get the opportunity in small group sessions to dive into topics that matter that most—college readiness, NIL rights, money management, personal leadership, recruitment, and personal brand building.
Closing with Impact
TLS closes with a 90-minute community service activation in partnership with Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES). TLS athletes step into the role of mentor, leading 80 Twin Cities middle school students through a series of NFL- and NBA-style combine activities. In that moment, the summit's core message stops being a talking point and becomes something they live: their platform already has the power to make an impact today.
Who Attends
TLS is an open-application, invitation-based event for high school students who identify as leaders within their teams and communities. You don't need a title to attend—you need the drive to lead. Attendees come from men's basketball and football programs across the Twin Cities metro area and are selected through a combination of self-nomination, peer referral, and the Next Is Now network.
Eligibility at a glance:
Current high school student in a men's basketball or football program in the Twin Cities metro area
Identifies as a team leader, whether formally recognized or not—no title required
Nominated by a coach, teammate, or community member, or self-nominated through the Next Is Now application
Twin Cities metro area schools only
Approximately 80 spots available—selection is competitive
Attendance is free, with lunch and all program materials provided
All selected attendees must submit a completed parental consent form, liability waiver, and emergency medical form before the event. All forms are available through the registration process.
Why leaders, not just captains? TLS was built for the young man who is already leading — whether or not anyone has given him the title yet. A captain gets elected. A leader shows up. TLS is for both — and for the teammate who hasn’t been handed a title but already has the respect of the room. The goal is to make every one of them better at it, and to ensure that what they learn multiplies across every team they go back to.
